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Vance Astro
Vance Astro is a former United States Army private who underwent a super-soldier experiment at the behest of his government in 1955 and went missing when an experimental rocket carrying Vance went awry and flung him into space in 1966. History Early Life Born on July 4th, 1930 in the small town of Anderson, Missouri, Vance was your average country boy. He helped his dad on the farm, lived a quiet life, and was able to pass school with relative ease. He enrolled into the University of Missouri at 18 in order to gain a university education, however the outbreak of the Korean War would spur him to put his education for a History major on hold and he applied to join the US Military in 1951, to the disapproval of his parents. Military Career Vance Astro was quickly brought into the 27th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army, also known as the "Wolfhounds". He would receive deployment and see heavy action throughout his time in Korea, most notably on 7th February 1951, where his regiment led a complete bayonet charge onto Hill 180. Vance saved dozens of lives when he charged ahead to take out a machine gun nest as well as tackling his commanding officer out of the way of a grenade. For this, as well as the success of the bayonet charge, both Private Astro and his CO, Captain Lewis Millett, received a Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman. Super-Soldier Candidacy Soon after the Korean War reached an armistice, the United State military reached a consensus that to combat communism around the globe, they would need an elite unit of soldiers that would be capable of fighting in any conditions and overpower the enemy. With a green light from President Eisenhower, Patriot Project would commence with the recruitment of scientific personnel, including one Dr. REDACTED, as well as searching for suitable candidates in the military. No sooner than a month after Vance had returned from Korea, he was approached with an offer for the program. Seeing it as a chance to continue serving his country, he accepted. He and 9 other candidates were taking to Camp REDACTED for evaluation and training. On 12 June 1955, Vance Astro would be selected as the first official candidate to receive a "gift" by Dr. REDACTED and her associates. After the procedure, Vance experienced large changes to his physiology and he was put into extensive monitoring to ensure his safety and health. The Fight for Freedom After being enhanced, Vance was found to be better than a regular human in almost every way. Tests showed that his physiology had changed to the point where he was able to perform feats of human strength, dexterity, and speed previously thought impossible for a human to achieve. However, a communist agent embedded within the program assassinated Dr. REDACTED via gunshot in order to stall any potential creation of more super-soldiers. However, a furious Astro quickly chased the communist spy down and captured him but not before a cyanide capsule in the agent's mouth broke and prevented him from being interrogated. Afterwards, Astro dedicated himself to fighting communism wherever his government needed him to be, whether it be covert operations deep in enemy territory or seeing actual combat. It was at this point that the US government used his public image of Captain Astro as a point of anti-communist propaganda, as a symbol to deter younger minds from deviating towards the red flag of socialism, as well as a icon for the American spirit in the Cold War. Lost In 1966, NASA had created a prototype rocket for potential use in potential space travel and they required a volunteer. Naturally, Captain Astro was the only one fit for the job, so he was tasked with testing the rocket in leaving the atmosphere and returning via capsule. However, tragedy would strike as a communist agent that had infiltrated the rocket program sabotaged the rocket and caused it to careen out of control and break through the Earth's gravitational pull, leaving Vance careening through space at an incredible speed. Without food, or much air left, Vance's body entered a sort of biologically induced comatose, freezing his metabolism and biological functions as he flew through the void... Meanwhile on Earth, with Astro presumed dead, the Patriot Project was shelved and its documents sealed and locked away deep. Burning Sails Coming Soon Abilities Superhuman Strength/Agility/Stamina With the doctor's gift ingrained into his body, Vance's physiology is enhanced to that of superhuman levels on several fronts, including his physical strength, stamina, and agility. Regenerative Healing Factor The gift also had an effect on his cells, boosting their capacity to metabolize and heal by several orders of magnitude, allowing for fast natural repairs to occur against wounds and aging. Equipment 'Navy MARK II Spacesuit -' Provided by NASA and the US Navy for his rocket launch, it comes with all the essentials; a helmet, pressurized body, onboard radio communications, helmet flashlights, and the all-important emblem of the United States of America. '''Experimental "Ray-Gun" - '''Vance's trusty sidearm, an experimental laser weapon provided to him by the Patriot Project, never leaves his side, and has accompanied him into space. Category:Characters Category:Sails